Ivolve Sutton Supported Living

On this page

• Overview
• Shared direction and culture
• Capable, compassionate and inclusive leaders
• Freedom to speak up
• Workforce equality, diversity and inclusion
• Governance, management and sustainability
• Partnerships and communities
• Learning, improvement and innovation

Well-led – this means we looked for evidence that service leadership, management and governance assured high-quality, person-centred care; supported learning and innovation; and promoted an open, fair culture. This is the first assessment of the service. We have rated this key question good. This meant the service was consistently managed and well-led. Leaders and the culture they created promoted high-quality, person-centred care.

This service scored 75 (out of 100) for this area. Find out what we look at when we assess this area and How we calculate these scores.

The provider had a shared vision and culture based on transparency, equality and respect. The registered manager told us the provider’s values were discussed with staff when they started work and reinforced through regular team meetings.

Staff understood the provider’s values and demonstrated these in their work. A member of staff told us, “We have values, like being passionate, kind, and resilience, which we follow and implement into our work.”

The provider’s stated purpose was to support people to flourish and to empower people to set and achieve individual goals. Staff supported people in a way that reflected this purpose, working with people to understand what was important to them and planning how their goals could be reached.

Staff said they worked well together to ensure people’s needs were met and told us there was a good sense of teamwork. One member of staff said, “We have a great team. We have got good communication.” Another member of staff told us, "The teamwork is really good here; everybody helps each other."

Leaders understood the context in which they delivered care and support and embodied the culture and values of the organisation. Leaders had the skills, knowledge and experience to lead effectively. They did so with integrity, openness and honesty.

Staff told us they received good support from the management team. One member of staff said, “The management team supports staff well.” Another member of staff told us, “We get good support. If you want to talk to a manager, their door is always open.”

Relatives told us the management team were approachable and involved in the daily life of the service. They said the management team communicated with them regularly and kept them up to date about their family members’ welfare and wellbeing. One relative told us, “Their communication with us is very good. We have weekly updates of what [family member] has been doing and they send photos as well, which is great as I can see what she has been up to.”

The registered manager understood their responsibilities under the duty of candour, which is a legal requirement for health and social care providers to be open and transparent when things go wrong.

The provider fostered a positive culture where people felt they could speak up and their voice would be heard. Staff supported people to express how they were feeling, including if they were unhappy with any aspect of their support, using relevant communication methods.

Relatives told us the management team encouraged people to speak up if they had concerns so these could be addressed and resolved. One relative said, “They want you to be open and honest if you have any concerns.”

Staff said they felt able to raise concerns and were confident these would be listened to and acted on. A member of staff told us, “We feel safe to speak up. They will listen to us.” Staff were also able to raise concerns outside the organisation, if necessary, through an independent whistleblowing line.

The provider valued diversity in their workforce. They worked towards an inclusive and fair culture by improving equality and equity for people who worked for them.

All staff completed Equality, Diversity Inclusion training which included unconscious bias, promoting respect in the workplace, and fostering an inclusive environment.

Staff told us they were treated fairly and their individual rights respected. Responses in a recent staff survey confirmed the provider valued diversity and created inclusive working environments.

The provider had effective systems for monitoring and improving the quality of the service. These supported the delivery of good quality, sustainable care.

Staff and managers completed regular audits of key aspects of the service. The provider also carried out regular monitoring of the service and any areas identified for improvement were added to the service improvement plan.

The provider used the same digital care planning, risk management, and quality monitoring system across the organisation, which enabled senior managers to maintain effective oversight and governance.

The management team and staff understood their duty to collaborate and work in partnership, so services worked seamlessly for people. They shared information with partners and collaborated for improvement.

Relatives said staff worked well with other professionals to plan and review their family members’ care. One relative told us staff attended regular multidisciplinary meetings with other professionals involved in their family member’s care, and that decisions made at these meetings were incorporated into their family member’s care plans. The relative said, “They attend meetings at [family member’s] college. They are good at putting in their input. They go to the medical meetings [family member] has as well.”

Relatives told us the management team and staff kept them informed about any changes to their family members’ support and considered their views when changes were being considered. One relative said, “They always approach us first if they are going to try anything new. It is not an us and them, it is definitely working holistically.”

The provider focused on learning and improvement across the organisation and local system. Best practice and learning from incidents were shared across the organisation for implementation across the provider’s services.

The provider supported staff to develop their knowledge and skills. Most staff had achieved relevant national vocational qualifications, and the provider had developed a 3-month virtual support programme designed to support care staff to acquire the skills needed to progress to the next level of their careers.